Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Bylaws of the
New Jersey Nursing Students, Inc.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Reason for Being Preamble Rights
Article I
Name
Article II
Principal Office
Article III
Article IV
Membership
Article V
Article VI
Election of Officers
15
16
19
Article IX
Consultants/Parliamentarian/Advisors
20
Article X
Committees
20
Article XI
Fiscal Year
21
21
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in the development of whole persons toward their professional role with its rights,
responsibilities, and ideals;
every right bears inherent responsibility;
the quality and quantity of participation are not exclusive, but bear the
responsibility of participation.
Rights:
Students have a right to:
a sound education;
a creative educational opportunity;
the highest quality practitioner/teacher;
provide input into curriculum planning;
self-directed learning;
achieve equal participation in all areas of clinical practice;
participate in interdisciplinary activities;
ensure peer review and self-evaluation;
internal governance;
organize and participate in an organization directed toward achieving professional
goals;
facilitate change in health care delivery through various channels;
assemble and explore fundamental and current professional issues and concerns;
organize in a flexible structure to encompass and represent the diversities within
nursing and be representative of the fundamental and current professional issues and
concerns; and finally,
Article I
Name
SECTION 1. Name:
The name of this organization shall be New Jersey Nursing Students, Inc., a constituent of the
National Student Nurses Association, Inc., and hereafter shall be referred to as NJNS and NSNA
respectively.
SECTION 2. Non-profit:
NJNS has been incorporated, and functions as a non-profit corporation under Title 15 of the NJ
Statutes Annotated.
Article II
Principal Office
The principal office of the association shall be located at 1479 Pennington Road, Ewing, NJ
08618.
Article III
Purpose and Functions
The purpose of the NJNS is to:
A.
have direct input into standards of nursing education and influence the education
process;
influence health care, nursing education, and practice through legislative activities as
appropriate;
promote and encourage participation in community affairs and activities toward
improved health care and resolution of related social issues;
represent nursing students to the customer, institutions, and other organizations;
promote and encourage students participation in interdisciplinary activities;
promote and encourage recruitment efforts and student activities;
G.
H.
Article IV
Membership
SECTION 1. Constituent Associations:
A.
B.
C.
B.
Active members:
1. Undergraduate students enrolled in state approved programs leading to
licensure as a registered nurse.
2. Registered nurses enrolled in undergraduate programs leading to a
Baccalaureate of Science degree with a major in nursing.
3. Any student enrolled in an advanced program leading to licensure as a
registered nurse.
4. Active members shall have all the privileges of membership.
5. Pre nursing students are considered active members, however, they are
ineligible to run for office.
6. All active members must able to provide proof of NSNA membership
Sustaining members shall:
1. Support the organization.
2. Have the same privileges of membership as an associate and receive all NJNS
executive board publications.
3. Receive convention registration fees equal to those of member pre-registration.
Annual dues for active and sustaining members shall be as referenced in the NSNA
membership brochure for one and two year periods.
National and state dues shall be payable to NSNA. NSNA shall remit to each state
constituent the dues received on behalf of the constituent.
Any member who fails to pay current dues shall forfeit all privileges of membership.
Payment of NSNA and NJNS dues is a prerequisite for membership in NJNS.
The annual dues for members will be established by the Board of Directors.
Article V
Members of the Board
SECTION 1. Members of the Board:
A. Elected board members shall be:
1. Officers
a. president
b. first vice president
c. second vice president
d. secretary
e. treasurer
2. Directors
a. Pulsebeat editor/public relations director
b. membership/nominations director
c. community health director
d. breakthrough to nursing (BTN) director
e. legislation director
f. resolutions director
g. fundraising director
SECTION 2. Qualifications of Board Members:
Any member of this association, meeting the following qualifications, shall be eligible to be a
candidate for office.
A.Candidates for office shall meet the criteria for active members of NJNS, as defined in
Article IV Section 2, throughout their term of office.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Members holding state office who are elected to a national office must resign from one
of those offices at least three weeks prior to the second board meeting of NJNS after
being elected to the second position.
Members on the state board may hold more than one position while on the board as
long as they uphold all responsibilities of both positions.
The consent of all proposed candidates, whether pre-slated or nominated from the
floor, shall be obtained in writing before placing their names on the ticket. Candidates
shall obtain and submit the written support of their dean or nursing program director.
Inability to obtain the deans or program directors letter of support will result in the
candidates name being withdrawn from the ballot.
Individuals have one week in which to turn in their signed forms from the
dean/director/or designee of the nursing program. If the signed form is not received, the
elected candidate must vacate the position, and the position will be posted on the
website for 30 days.
serve for the entire term. The term start and end dates are defined as the first meeting
following the NSNA annual convention and will also be termed the transition meeting;
attend monthly meetings after their election to enact a smooth transition from the
current board to the incoming board, referred to as the board elect. The board elect
members will not have a vote at these meetings until they begin their official term at
the transition meeting.
Representation at the Annual Convention(s): The current president will represent NJNS
at the NSNA convention and the vice president(s) will serve as an alternate to the
president. Also, if the resolution is accepted at the annual convention, the resolution
director is encouraged to defend the resolution at the NSNA convention. If the
president or resolution director is unable to attend a representative will be selected by
the executive board. All expenses for the president, resolutions director if resolution
has passed, or alternate will be covered by NJNS.
B.
C.
All official NJNS correspondence must be approved by a consultant before being sent.
All board members are required to submit a monthly board report that reflects the
duties performed during that month. It is to be approved and emailed to the entire
board one week prior to the meeting.
All board members shall have the right to vote at the annual House of Delegates.
All board members are required to review the Bylaws and the Policy Book and submit
changes to the Legislation Director by the November board meeting.
Candidates for office shall have a GPA of 2.5 or higher prior to running for office and
must maintain a GPA of 2.5 or higher during their term of office.
a. Students who have not maintained a 2.5 GPA, failed a nursing class, or are in
jeopardy of failing at the beginning of any semester/quarter while on the board will
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The president:
1.
presides at all meetings of the association and the executive board;
2.
keeps the board members informed of all the associations activities;
3.
appoints special committees with the approval of the executive board;
4.
serves as ex-officio member of all committees except the nominating
committee;
5.
represents NJNS in all matters relating to the association and performs all
other duties pertaining to the office;
6.
is authorized to co-sign checks with vice presidents and the treasurer. In
the case of an emergency, the staff and parliamentarian will be authorized to
take over such responsibilities;
7.
is required to be bonded under an indemnity policy in the amount of
$100,000 minimally;
8.
is authorized to sign contracts with the approval of the executive board;
9.
is able to make contracts one (1) year in advance with the approval of the
current executive board and one (1) consultant. These contracts will be kept on
file with the staff and made available to all members of the NJNS state board
and constituents;
10.
prepares an article for each issue of the Pulsebeat; and,
11.
gives an oral presentation on the state of the organization at the annual
convention.
B.
10.
10.
11.
12.
13.
C.
D.
The secretary:
1. reports directly to the president;
2. contacts specific schools assigned by the membership/nominations director at
least once a month to promote NJNS membership and events;
3. attends the monthly executive board meetings;
4. serves as chairperson of the Council of School Participants (COSP) workshop;
5. prepares the minutes of all business meetings of the association and executive
board meetings prior to the next meeting. Once approved, submits one (1) copy
via email, of all minutes with board reports to NSNA and one (1) copy via
email to all board members;
6. serves as a member of the Scholarship Committee;
7. is responsible for the revision of all COSP forms by the July meeting;
8. is responsible for the revision of all convention forms by the August meeting;
9. keeps a record of attendance of each board member. Notifies the president of
those individuals who exceed the absence quota;
establishes quorum at all business meetings of the association;
prepares an article for each issue of the Pulsebeat;
is responsible for monthly board report collection; and,
performs all duties as assigned by the president.
E.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
The treasurer:
1. reports directly to the president;
2. contacts NJNS accountant within one (1) month of being elected;
3. contacts specific schools assigned by the membership/nominations director at
least once a month to promote NJNS membership and events;
4. attends the monthly executive board meeting and NJNS events;
5. acts as custodian of the organizations funds and prepares monthly financial
report, monthly statement and annual financial report, and submits to consultant
for reconciliation;
6. is responsible for resetting the password to all accounts every year;
7. ensures all checks are filled out properly and co-signs checks or monetary
disbursements as the bylaws provide with the president and vice presidents. In
the case of an emergency, the staff and parliamentarian will be authorized to
take over such responsibilities;
is responsible for having the year end statement closed by July 31, approved by
finance committee and presented to board at August meeting;
is required to have NJNS account audited by an executive board approved
accountant by September 1;
is required to be bonded under an indemnity policy in the amount of $100,000
minimally;
maintains NJNSs corporation status annually
presents an oral financial report to the membership at annual convention;
is responsible for registration at convention;
prepares the budget for the next year before leaving office;
prepares an article for each issue of the Pulsebeat;
provides the current actual costs in anticipation of the annual budget for the
following year before leaving office;
maintains financial records for at least 7 years at headquarters;
performs all duties as assigned by the president.
deposit all funds received within the account of the approved bank as soon as
possible
F.
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14.
G.
H.
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9. promotes the community health project on the NJNS website, in collaboration with
the Pulsebeat editor/public relations director.
10. maintains accurate files, information, and supplies to be utilized by future
community health directors; and,
11. performs all duties as assigned by the president.
I.
J.
K.
4. researches and chooses the topic for a resolution; final selection to be voted on by
the July board meeting;
5. prepares and writes the resolution, 1st draft due at September meeting, 2nd draft due
at November meeting, final draft to be approved by the board at the December
meeting;
6. presents the resolution at the annual state and national conventions;
7. implements the actions to be taken as result of the resolution;
8. supports the development of the Resolutions Committee in the school chapters;
9. prepares an article for each issue of the Pulsebeat;
10. maintains accurate files, information, and supplies to be utilized by future
resolutions directors;
11. performs all duties as assigned by the president.
12. if there is no resolutions director in place by September, the position will be closed;
and,
L.
SECTION 6.
The officers shall submit reimbursement vouchers of their expenses to the treasurer, with receipts,
by the next monthly meeting in order to be reimbursed. Mileage is not reimbursed for attending
monthly meetings. When mileage is reimbursed for various events other than monthly meetings it
will reflect the current federal rate.
SECTION 7.
The officers of this association are required to fulfill their duties as specified in these bylaws.
A.
If any member of the executive board fails to fulfill the responsibilities as defined in
these bylaws, NJNS will have the option of removing the board member from the
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B.
C.
D.
office. The action will require a one half plus one vote by the executive board. A
certified letter of notification of removal will be sent to the individual.
An appeal to this decision must be submitted in writing to the president within two
weeks of receipt of the letter. In the event the appeal is submitted by the president,
written appeal must be submitted to the first vice president. The appeals case will be
considered by the executive board via conference call, email, or board meeting within
two weeks of receipt of the appeal. The appealing officer shall be reinstated by a
vote of the executive board. The president will notify the appealer of the boards
decision via email, within 24 hours of the vote.
A period of no longer than one month shall elapse between the initial appeals meeting
and the meeting of which the voting shall take place.
A consultant shall be involved in the removal and the appeals process.
SECTION 8.
Any chapter of NJNS holding an impeachment proceeding shall first seek the approval of the
NJNS executive board.
SECTION 9.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
Any resignation from a position on the executive board shall be in writing and sent to
the president and one consultant. Resignation shall be effective immediately upon
receipt by the president, unless a date has been mutually established by the parties
involved. In the event the president is resigning, resignation will be submitted to the
first vice president and one consultant.
The dean/director of the school in which the resigning officer is enrolled will be
notified in writing by the president.
In the event that a verbal resignation is tendered without written confirmation as stated
in Subsection A above, verbal resignation shall be tendered to the president and another
board member. In such case that the president is verbally resigning, the president will
tender the resignation to the first vice president and another board member.
A vacancy on the executive board shall be filled by a 2/3 vote of the executive board
present at the meeting.
1. the board will vote to declare the position vacant
2. the board will vote to fill or not to fill position
Any board vacancy will be offered to board members before being offered to the
general membership. A vote will be conducted by the board and no paperwork will be
needed for this change of position.
Candidates for the vacant office must meet all eligibility requirements as stated in
Article IV, Section 2.
The newly elected board member shall have all the duties and privileges of the
position.
Article VI
Election of Board Members
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SECTION 1.
The officers of the executive board of NJNS shall be elected by the House of Delegates at the
annual convention by closed ballot. Before voting, all delegates shall present credentials to the
monitor in charge of the ballot box.
SECTION 2.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Nominations are open to all members of NJNS. Candidates shall be chosen from those
members who shall be presented or pre-slated by the Nominating Committee of this
association or who have been nominated from the floor as stated in Article V, according
to Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised.
Nominees must be present at the House of Delegates in order to accept the nomination.
No electronic nominations and acceptances will be permitted/accepted.
When nominated, candidates must indicate their consent to serve if elected, with the
requirement that they shall obtain the written verification of enrollment in a nursing
program and grade point average of 2.5 or higher from their dean/director. However, a
consultant may obtain verbal or electronic verification in an emergency situation. This
verification must be followed up with written verification to the current president
within one (1) week.
Candidates must maintain a 2.5 or higher grade point average during the term of office.
In the event that the school does not calculate GPA using a standardized 4.0 scale,
students may submit an official grading scale from their school to prove eligibility.
SECTION 3.
The elections shall be by delegate and NJNS board voting. In the case of a tie, the executive board
shall vote collectively, with this one vote being cast by the president of NJNS.
SECTION 4.
A plurality vote of all delegates entitled to vote and voting shall constitute an election.
SECTION 5.
Opportunity shall be given to introduce all candidates to the membership at the last House of
Delegates meeting prior to the voting and at times arranged by the Nominating Committee.
Candidates pertinent information should be posted by the membership/nominations director prior
to the delegates voting.
A. All nominees must be present on the day of election to provide a speech to the House of
Delegates. If a speech is not presented, the nominee will automatically be eliminated from
the ballot.
B. The presidential candidates shall be given five (5) minutes to speak to the House of
Delegates and all other position candidates shall be given two (2) minutes to speak to the
House of Delegates.
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C. After each speech, delegates will have the opportunity to ask questions of the candidate if
time allowed.
SECTION 6.
Nominations from the floor may be made as designated in the convention agenda by a delegate of
the association. These motions must be seconded.
SECTION 7.
Names of members nominated from the floor, after verification of eligibility and availability, shall
be posted in the polling place and shall be placed on the ballot.
SECTION 8.
The membership/nominations director of NJNS shall appoint monitors who shall act as tellers of
the election. Monitors who wish to run for a position on the board must contact the
membership/nominations director to get proper coverage for their scheduled responsibilities at the
convention.
Article VII
Meetings
SECTION 1.
Monthly meetings of the executive board will be held on the second Saturday of every month,
convening at 10 a.m. and adjourning when business is completed unless the board is notified
otherwise. All meetings will be at NJSNA headquarters unless the board is otherwise notified.
Monthly meetings of NJNS are mandatory meetings for all officers and directors. Elected officials
and members of constituent schools are encouraged to attend.
SECTION 2.
The annual meeting of the association shall be held at such a time and place as determined by the
executive board. The annual meeting shall be for the purpose of holding an election, receiving
reports, and conducting such other business as may properly come before the House of Delegates.
Notice of the meeting shall be sent to the president of each school association and other members
of the voting body by November 30th prior to the annual meeting.
SECTION 3.
The House of Delegates shall be the governing and voting body of the association and shall be
composed of delegates from the member schools. The business of the annual meeting shall be
conducted by the House of Delegates.
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SECTION 4.
The privilege of making motions and voting shall be limited to the voting body. A voting member
shall have but one vote in any election or on any question. The vote must be exercised in person
by the delegates and in their absence may not be assigned to or exercised by any other delegate or
individual by means of a proxy or other written or oral assignments.
SECTION 5.
All meetings of the association shall be open unless voted otherwise by the House of Delegates.
Members other than voting delegates may attend the annual meeting but shall not be seated with
the delegate body and may speak once on each issue after the delegates have spoken.
SECTION 6.
A special meeting may be called by the executive board and shall be called by the president upon
written request of 1/3 or more of the member schools. Notice of the time, place, and purpose of the
meeting shall be sent to all member schools not less than five days prior to the meeting.
SECTION 7.
A.
B.
C.
The quorum for the annual meeting and special meetings shall consist of delegates
from at least 1/5 of the member schools present at the first business meeting.
A member school is one at which at least one student is a member of NJNS. Meetings
without quorum present can be held for the purpose of discussions or workshops only.
No motions or votes can take place.
Quorum for executive board monthly meetings is 1/2 plus one of the elected board and
one consultant.
SECTION 8.
Member schools are entitled to representation at the annual convention or special meetings of the
NJNS as follows:
A.
B.
C.
D.
Delegates shall be computed on the basis of the number of members in each member
school as evidenced by the annual dues, which must be requested by NJNS from
NSNA four weeks prior to the annual convention.
Delegates at the annual meeting shall be computed by the number of NSNA members.
There will one delegate for every 25 members. Membership of 1 to 25 members: one
delegate.
Membership of more than 25 members: one additional delegate with each additional 25
members.
Duties of delegates:
1. be available for the entire convention;
2. attend all business meetings;
3. review all information presented in the convention binder for subsequent voting
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activity; and,
4. report to the legislation director; and be aware that duties of the delegates
supersede all other convention activities.
SECTION 9.
A.
B.
SECTION 10.
A.
B.
C.
Any officer or director who accumulates two unexcused absences from monthly board
meetings will be served with a written warning from the president of NJNS. In the
case of the president having two unexcused absences, a written warning will be
forwarded to the president by the first vice president and consultant.
1. At the discretion of the president and consultants, any officer or director with
three unexcused absences will result in immediate termination of board
membership.
a. The definition of an excused absence is death of a loved one, illness with
documentation, unpredicted emergency, one (1) academic related absence,
and any reason at the discretion of the president and first and second vice
presidents.
b. The definition of an unexcused absence is a second school related
absence, employment, childcare issues, vacations, motor vehicle
violations, illness without documentation, and any other reason at the
discretion of the president and first and second vice presidents.
c. Individuals must inform the president, a vice president, and a consultant
of the reason for their absenteeism when unable to attend a board meeting.
Board members who are considered non-contributing will be removed from the board
by a vote of one-half plus one of the remaining board members.
Two occurrences of coming late or leaving early in excess of a half an hour is equal to
one unexcused absence.
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Article VIII
Executive Board
SECTION 1.
The officers and directors of this association as stated in Article IV, Section 1, shall constitute the
executive board.
SECTION 2.
The consultants and chairpersons of the special committees shall serve on this board, attend all
meetings, but not be entitled to vote.
SECTION 3.
The presence of plus one of the elected board members and one consultant shall constitute a
quorum of an executive board meeting.
SECTION 4.
In the interval between meetings of the executive board, the president of the association may refer
and submit, by mail, facsimile, or current electronic technological means, to the members of the
executive board, definite questions relating to the affairs of the association which, in the opinion
of the president, require immediate action.
SECTION 5.
A.
B.
All newly elected officers and directors are expected to attend all monthly meetings
following elections.
During the transition meeting, a written description of each board position should be
read by each board member-elect. The elected board members must sign the written
statement, along with the president-elect, to assure an adequate understanding and
acceptance of the duties that are to be expected of them.
SECTION 6.
In the event an emergency matter occurs between meetings, the executive board shall be able to
conduct decision-making by conducting an executive board vote using all available current means
of telecommunications. The president may exercise an executive decision and notify the board of
that decision within a reasonable time.
SECTION 7.
Voting board members may serve only three (3) terms on the board.
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Article IX
Consultants/Parliamentarian/Advisors
SECTION 1.
The consultants shall consist of two members:
A. One shall be appointed by NJSNA and one by NJLN to serve for a two-year term with
a maximum of four years. These consultants shall be responsible for providing an
exchange of ideas and information between members of their respective organizations
and NJNS.
1. In the event a concern arises with the appointed consultants, NJNS reserves the
right to have a meeting with the appointing organization to resolve the issue.
2. The terms of the consultants shall be staggered as follows: NJLN consultants
term expires in even-numbered years; NJSNA consultants term expires in oddnumbered years.
3. One (1) consultant must review all accounts payable
B.
The board may appoint an individual to serve as parliamentarian at any and all
meetings as needed.
1.
The parliamentarian shall serve on the Bylaws and Scholarship Committees.
2.
In the event that a parliamentarian is unavailable, one of the appointed
consultants may serve as the parliamentarian as long as the other consultant is
available to the board. Parliamentarian attendance is optional except at the
annual convention.
SECTION 2.
The presidential advisors shall consist of two members:
A.
Both shall be appointed by the president to serve a one-year term that coincides with
the presidents term.
B.
One presidential advisor shall be a school faculty member, not necessarily from the
presidents school. Responsibilities include optional attendance at monthly board
meetings and acting as a resource person, interpreter, or liaison officer.
C.
The other presidential advisor shall be any board member that has served on the board
previously. Responsibilities include optional attendance at monthly board meetings
and acting as a resource person for the president.
Article X
Committees
SECTION 1.
The board, at its discretion, shall establish ad hoc committees and determine the functions, terms,
and membership of these. A quorum for the committee meeting shall consist of a majority of the
committee members.
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SECTION 2.
A.
B.
Bylaws Committee
1. The members of the Bylaws Committee shall be as follows:
a.
second vice president
b.
parliamentarian
c.
others as deemed necessary
Scholarship Committee
1. The members of the Scholarship Committee shall be as follows:
a.
second vice president
b.
secretary
c.
one (1) consultant and/or parliamentarian
d.
others as deemed necessary
Article XI
Fiscal Year
SECTION 1.
A.
Contracts may be made one (1) year in advance with the approval of the current
executive board and one (1) consultant.
B.
All existing contracts shall be evaluated yearly, and may be continued as approved by a
2/3 vote of the board.
C.
New contract proposals shall require a minimum of three (3) bids to be reviewed by the
board and the best offer shall be selected.
SECTION 2.
The fiscal year shall end on June 30 and restart on July 1.
Article XII
Parliamentary Authority
SECTION 1.
All meetings of this association shall be conducted according to Parliamentary Law as set forth in
Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised where the rules apply and are not in conflict with these
bylaws except for policies which will be voted on by the board.
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Article XIII
Amendments to Bylaws
SECTION 1.
A.
B.
These bylaws may be amended at the annual meeting by a 2/3 vote of all delegates
present and voting.
Proposed amendments prepared by the Bylaws Committee shall be approved by the
executive board at the December meeting and distributed to all constituent schools 30
days prior to the annual meeting.
SECTION 2.
Proposed amendments may be submitted to the Bylaws Committee by the executive board, board
committees, and member schools no later than November 1st.
SECTION 3.
An amendment to these bylaws shall become effective immediately upon its approval at the annual
meeting or a special meeting unless the amendment specified a time for its going into effect.
SECTION 4.
Amendments to the bylaws of the National Student Nurses Association (NSNA), adopted at the
annual meeting which directly relate to the business of the state association, in the areas of
conformity, purpose, and functions, dues, membership, and representation, shall automatically and
immediately affect the necessary amendment to the bylaws of this association and shall promptly
be incorporated.
These bylaws have been accepted and duly recorded on
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